Speedometer.



G. W. BLACKBURN.

SPEEDOMETER.

APPLICATION man APR. 11. 1914.

l 1 1 Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

A v 7 fizaeiw azr 3 9 Guy Wffi Zacfi Mm. E5 B7 6 GUY W. BLACKBURN, OF ELGIN ILLINOIS.

SPEEDOIVIETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 19917..

Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial No. 832,434.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY W. BLACKBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flgin, in the county of Kane and State of llllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Speedometers, o f which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in speedometers and the like and is illustrated in one form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale along line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section along line 33 of Fig. 2;'Fig. i is a section along line 4 4.- of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail on a reduced scale of a modified form; Fig. 6 shows a detail of the adjustin means; and Fig. 7 is a section along line 7 of Fig. 6. I

Like parts are indicated by like letters throughout the several figures.

A is a speedometer housing having on the front thereof a vertical rectilinear speed dial it. The pointer A travels along the dial A projecting out through the slot A from the interior of the housing.

A is a drive shaft casing leading from any suitable rotating or moving part to the housing and containing a drive shaft A to operate the speedometer.

B is a rotatable spindle driven by the shaft A and rotatably mounted at either end in the housing A.

13 B are tapered slots in opposed sides of the spindle, narrower at their bottom and becoming wider progressively toward the top.

B B are guide rods mounted in the housing upon which is free to slide the carriage 13 which carriage carries the pointer A On this carriage on either side of the spindle B are mounted the friction rollers 13*, B These rollers are carried in adjustable bearings B, which bearings are held in position on the carriage B by the springs B? and adjustable screws B Thus the rollers 13* are yieldingly pressed against the spindle B by the springs B whose tension may be adjusted by the screws B It will be noted that the position of the screws and bearings is such that each roller is inclined slightly to the spindle, and thus the two rollers as they travel along the spindle and rotate in response to the rotation thereof travel a spiral path. If, then, in the arrangement shown the spindle rotates in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 4, the friction rollers will travel upwardly along the spindle and tend to raise the carriage, but each time the spindle comes to a point where the roller is in line with the slot, the roller will drop into the slot until it strikes the stop or guide rollers 13. Its movement toward the spindle will thus be arrested, and it will be held above the bottom of the slot. The force of gravity will thenoperate, and the carriage will tend to drop down. As the ro tational speedof the spindle increases, the height to which the carriage will beraised will also increase, and the carriage will run up the spindle until it reaches a point at which the time during which the friction rollers are out of contact with the spindle just overcomes the upward movement while the friction rollers are in contact with the spindle, and the carriage will rest at that point, that is to say, for a low speed the narrow slot permits the spindle to drop down a certain distance between each lifting movement, but as the speed increases the time taken to pass the roller through the slot is insuflicient to permit the carriage to drop the full distance, and. thus the carriage rises until the increasing width of the slot increases the time of freedom sufficient to counterbalance the time of rising.

It will be noted that the holding springs ,permit wear of the roller without changing the adjustment of the device, because the movement of the roller toward the spindle is limited by the guide rollers;

In order to prevent undue wear of the rollers and of the spindle to prevent vibration and add to the smooth running features I propose to make the diameter of the two rollers unequal and also to make the diameter of each of them such that as they travel on or in contact with the spindle their contact points will progressively move in order that wear may be equal about the circumference of the rollers.

I have not illustrated any odometer such -mileage speedometer for automobiles or for a tachometer or any other situation wherein it is desired to record the 'velocity of mov ing parts. It is only necessary to calibrate the scale properly.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form where- 'in K is a spring resisting the movement of the carriage in response to the cooperation of the spindle and rollers. This spring takes the place of the force of gravity. It may be described as a constant yielding force just as is the force of gravity, but it enables my device to be used in positions where it is not convenient to have the spindle vertical. Its operation is, of course, exactly the same, but possibly adjustment might be more convenient because the tension of the screw can be adjusted; thus it is possible to adjust either by calibrating the scale or by adjusting the tension in the spring, whereas in the vertical gravity type the only adjustment that can be made is by calibrating the scale. Thus my device would be more convenient for circumstances wherein different speed ranges were met with.

L, L are slots in the bearing brackets whereby the bracket may be shifted to change the angularity of the roller. L is a false base to which the bracket when so shifted may be attached and which slides along the guide screw.

1 have described the carrier or the pointer carried thereby as being free to slide along the spindle. It does not, of course, mean that either of them are mounted on the spindle, merely that they are free to slide along or parallel with it and it must be understood that while the particular guide mechanism for holding the carrier to its path along the spindle is the preferred type, still other suitable guide mechanisms or other parts of the present arrangement made 7 use of forthat purpose. Of course, the

carrier and the pointer are both of them slidable along the scale and the spindle simultaneously because the scale and spindle are parallel and both of them in permanent operative relation to the carrier and indicating pointer.

I claim: 7 a 1. A speed indicator comprising a rotating slotted spindle and means for rotating it, a carrier, and means comprising said spindle for lifting said carrier against the force of gravity.

2. A speed indicator comprising a rotating slotted spindle and means for rotating it, the effective circumference of the spindle progressively decreasing upwardly, a carrier mcontact with said spindle, and means comprising said spindle for raising said carrier.

3. A speed indicator comprising a carrier adapted to move vertically, means for raising said carrier, said means comprising a slotted spindle adapted to be intermittently in contact with said carrier.

4. A speed indicator comprising a spindle having a slot in the surface thereof increasing in width from the lower end thereof upwardly, and a carrier free to slide parallel with the axis of the spindle and in contact therewith.

5. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a slotted surface, and a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means for en aging said surface.

6. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, and means for rotating said spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined.

7. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, and a scale along which said carrier slides.

8. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, means for rotating said spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined, and a scale along which said carrier slides.

9. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, a scale along which said carrier slides, and a finger on said carrier in opposition to said scale.

10. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and pro vided with means engaging said surface, means for rotating said spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined, a scale along which said carrier slides, and a linger on said carrier in opposition to said scale.

11. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, and a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, said discontinuous surface decreasing in effective area upwardly.

12. A speed indicator comprising av vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and pro vided With means engaging said surface, and means for rotating said spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined, said discontinuous surface decreasing in effective area upwardly.

13. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, and a scale along which said carrier slides, said discontinuous surface decreasing in effective area upwardly.

14. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, means for rotating said spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined, and a scale along which said carrier slides, said discontinuous sur face decreasing in effective area upwardly.

15. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, a scale along which said carrier slides, and a finger on said carrier in opposition to said scale, said discontinuous surface decreasing in effective area upwardly.

16. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle having a discontinuous surface, a carrier free to slide therealong and provided with means engaging said surface, means for rotating said" spindle responsive to the rotation of the member whose speed is to be determined, a scale along which said carrier slides, and a finger on said carrier in opposition to said scale, said discontinuous surface decreasing in effective area upwardly.

17. A speed indicator comprising a vertical spindle, a carrier slidably mounted and free to fall along said vertical spindle, said vertical spindle having mutilated means for intermittently connecting said carrier and said spindle, and contact members whereby the carrier may be intermittently raised and lowered along the spindle by the rotation thereof.

18. A speed indicator comprising a spindle, means for rotating it, said spindle having a slotted surface interrupting the cylindrical surface, a carrier parallel with said spindle, and a contact member on said carrier in engagement with said spindle.

19. A speed indicator comprising a slotted vertical spindle, the slot increasing in width upwardly, a carrier free to travel parallel with and alongside of the spindle, friction rollers mounted on the carrier in contact with the surface of the spindle and inclined thereto, and means for limiting the movement of said rollers toward the spindle.

20. A speed indicator comprising a slotted vertical spindle, the slot increasing in width upwardly, a carrier free to travel parallel with and alongside of the spindle, friction rollers mounted on the carrier in contact with the surface of the spindle and inclined thereto, means for limiting the movement of said rollers toward the spindle, and yielding means for forcing said rollers toward the spindle.

21. A speed indicator comprising a slotted spindle, a carriage slidable thereon, the slots in said spindle being on opposed sides thereof and increasing in width from one end, and frictional contact rollers on the carriage on opposed sides of the spindle, said rollers being adapted to be in contact with the surface of the spindle but to be out of contact therewith when in line with the slots.

22. A speed indicator comprising a slotted spindle, a carriage slidable thereon, the slots in said spindle being on opposed sides thereof and increasing in width from one end, and frictional contact rollers on the carriage on opposed sides of the spindle, said rollers being inclined to the axis of the spindle and adapted to be in contact with the surface of the spindle but to be out of contact therewith when in line with the slots.

23. A speed indicator comprising a slotted spindle, a carriage slidable thereon, the slots in said spindle being on opposed sides thereof and -increasing in width from one end, and frictional contact rollers on the carriage on opposed sides of the spindle, said rollers being inclined to the axis of the spindle and adapted to be in contact with the surface of the spindle but to be out of contact therewith when in line with the slots, and yielding means for pressing said rollers toward the spindle from opposed sides.

24. A speed indicator comprising a slotted spindle, a carriage slidable thereon, the slots in said spindle being on opposed sides thereof and increasing in width from one end, frictional contact rollers on the carriage on opposed sides of the spindle, said rollers being inclined to the axis of the spindle and adapted to be in contact with the surface of the spindle but to be out of contact there with when in line with the slots, and yielding means for pressing said rollers toward the spindle from opposed sides, and means for limiting the movement of said rollers toward the spindle.

25. A speed indicator comprising a slotted spindle, a carriage slidable thereon, the slots in said spindle being on opposed sides thereof and increasing in width from one end, frictional contact rollers on the carriage on opposed sides of the spindle, said rollers being inclined to the axis of the spindle and adapted to be in contact with the surface of the spindle but to be out of contact there with when in line with the slots, yielding means for pIessing saidrollers toward the in the presence of two Witnesses this 13th spindle frombpposed sides, means for liInday of April, 1914.

iting thei movement of said rollers toward the spindle, and means for adjusting the in- GUY BLACKBURN clination of the rollers with respect to the Witnesses:

spindle. MINNIE SUNDFAR, Intestnnony whereof, I aflix my slgnature BESSIE S. RICE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. C. 

